by William Remski

Created on: September 02, 2007

To say that a poem comes from the heart means that the poem is the result of emotions. Emotions are a product of the mind. Bloodflow is the only real product of the heart. Even poems from the heart come from the mind. People have been deluded on this concept since ancient times. It is because our hearts beat faster when we experience intense emotions that we think emotions come from our heart. People have been mistaken about this concept.

With that clarified, I shall continue. I do not like emotional poetry. I think Hallmark cards are the gloopiest form of nonsense ever devised by man. I don't really want to hear about some sad poet's failed love affair. I don't want to listen to some poet cry about some tragedy when I read a poem. I don't want to hear endless ruminations about the failed life that led some person to hate themself. This is all just bad poetry in my opinion. Some people's minds focus on their emotional lives more than on the actual world.

What I like in poetry is lyric. I want to hear some story of some stuff that happened. This can include feelings, but is not totally focused on only the feelings. A poetic description of some series of events can convey the actual feelings if it is done well enough. Conveying feelings is good, moaning about feelings is bad. A poet should make something that people can experience, not relate his experiences. New and interesting things should happen in a poem. A poem is not a forum to discuss your personal emotional problems. A poet should always remember that it is the reader's experience they should be concerned with, not their own. Reading bad heartfelt poetry is like listening to somebody cry, it is a painful experience and not entertaining.

Learn more about this author, William Remski.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.